The season did not start well with a 96-point loss to Port Adelaide followed by a 34-point loss to St Kilda. What could be good about that I hear you ask? Well, sometimes you only learn what you've got when it is put under pressure.

I believe that this was the case with Essendon at the beginning of 2004. At no stage did the players not believe that we would be in the mix come the business end of the season. That is still be achieved but we are back on track. The coaching staff kept about their job in a professional manner despite our start - I would defy anyone who ventured into the club on a Monday morning to pick if we had won or lost.

To me that has been the biggest positive. We did not panic. We did not lose focus. We went about our jobs of winning football games. I believe that we passed one of the biggest tests in sport - to hold your nerve and confidence when all those around you question your ability.

What has been the biggest disappointment?

I would say the disappointing aspect has been the fact we have probably taken the foot off the pedal when we have sides as good as beaten - West Coast and Fremantle particularly. Not only did this give them some respectability in the end, but it also did not give us the lift in percentage that we need to reclaim what was lost after a heavy loss in round one.

Another major disappointment has been that we haven’t seen Courtney Johns take the field as yet in 2004. We are close but we may as well be a million miles away.

Who has made the biggest improvement?

I don't think anyone would be surprised if I said Adam McPhee. He is meticulous in his preparation and professional in his approach to sport. He has also learned to trust his body after a difficult run with injuries and he has probably now really settled into life at Essendon.

I also think Dean Rioli has been a quite achiever this season and he has not received too many accolades. He has worked exceptionally hard and is playing games out in a fashion that even a year ago he was not capable of doing.

I am also impressed with the ongoing development of Dean Solomon and Jason Johnson - they are not just quality footballers they are quality individuals as well.

What has been the biggest frustration?

I have never had so many soft tissue injuries in my career as a fitness coach as I did towards the end of the pre season. Then to have people who cannot even spell fitness advising you on what you need to do … well let’s just say it can become frustrating. It goes with the job I guess, but you just have to keep your head down and backside up - and as has happened, come through at the end.

How is the players attitude to training at the halfway mark of the season?

We work very hard from the moment pre-season begins to make sure that the players recover from session to session and game to game. Whether that be through massage, hot/cold therapy, Musashi products, mobility sessions or just plain rest. The aim is to keep the players on an even keel.

In modern football you cannot just grind out a season in excess of 30 weeks. At the mid-way point we are travelling along quite well. The player’s attitude is terrific with high levels of enthusiasm and confidence. We just need to keep focused, address our weaknesses and improve our strengths. If we can stay relatively injury free over the next few months and get ourselves into the top four - we are really going to give the flag one helluva shake.